Lifeguards Make Dramatic Rescue of 6, Then Save Their Boat.

Mike Glenn August 30, 2016

Last Saturday at about 5:30pm in front of Blackies, a sailboat had trouble starting their rear outboard engine. From the descriptions that the people aboard gave, it sounded like it was flooded. However, they continued to try for another half hour as the tide pushed them closer and closer to shore. At about 6pm, there was no turning back. The keel had grounded in the sand, and the boat was being rocked badly by the waves. Six passengers jumped from the boat with life preservers on as lifeguards pulled them from the peaking tide.

Lifeguards then tossed a rope aboard in an attempt to pull the vessel from the shoreline but made little progress through the incoming waves. While there were multiple boats available, tying to boats to a single point and attempting to move forward would wind up with both of the towing boats colliding with each other. Finally at 7:30pm an auxilary boat came to a great diagnosis of the problem: The keel was stuck in the sand. They tied a line to the top of the mast and pulled hard, sending the boat at a high angle and freeing it from the bottom of the beach. The lifeguard boat was then able to pull the boat into the bay, to the safety of the Harbor Department.

All six passengers outwardly appeared to be fine, although I am sure that was not the start to the evening on the water that they were expecting. One victims main concern seemed to be where should could simply buy dry clothes– so not all is too bad!

The tide was beginning to go out, causing this boat to be stranded more and more, and it would have been there for at least another 12 hours had it not been for the quick-thinking and fast-action of our lifeguards. If the keel had broken or if it had been pulled apart by an over-zealous rescue effort, the waves would have smashed the remains against the 76-year old wooden Newport Pier pilings, which likely would have ended quite badly.

Special thanks to our lifeguards on-scene who routinely cover an estimated 9.5 million on-beach visitors per year– not even including inexperienced boaters.

But we know you’re here for the video, so without further adieu… Here’s the video that captured the beginning: